I've been unmotivated with my running lately, second guessing my training plans and race goals, so I've decided to switch things up and will be doing a month-long run streak for July! Running every day, at least a mile. Hopefully, it will kick me out of my rut.

My first week back to running went really well! 5.5 miles Monday, quarter mile repeats Wednesday, 4 miles Friday, and 8 miles Saturday. I swam on T/R, and it really helped to stretch me out. This upcoming weekend I'll be doing my first long run, 13 miles, since before my injury, and if all goes well I'll be pushing my mileage up every other weekend until my marathon in October!

I like how running makes me a more sane person the rest of the day. And I bought new running shoes today! Expensive! But exciting! I haven't bought new ones in, er, 10 years (seriously) other than a brief and unsatisfying dalliance with Vibrams.

_________________"I'd rather have dried catshit! I'd rather have astroturf! I'd rather have an igloo!"~Isa

"But really, anyone willing to dangle their baby in front of a crocodile is A-OK in my book."~SSD

So, I'm thinking I'll start working up to being able to do 10k. There are a couple of events occuring in September and I'm thinking I'll sign up for one of them (but not both... one is immediately after the other so I don't think that would be very bright).

What's the best way to increase distance? At the moment, I generally do three 5k runs a week (average time is ~32 minutes). Is it better to uniformly increase the length of all three or have one of them be my "long run" and keep the other two static until I'm appropriately jacked?

I think that depends on your goals, Tea. Is your only goal to increase distance? Or do you want to increase your pace too? You might want to gradually add distance to one of them, keep one short and easy, and do a little tempo work in the third one.

I planned to go run yesterday but I got sick after lunch (bad reaction to either iced tea or mushroom soup) and had to lie down. Then there was a super summer storm. Excuses! I am all set to go now but am waiting for an important potential job related phone call. I hope there's lots of time for me to hit it after the call and before I have to go to town and pick up my little one from gymnastics camp and do other errand stuff. This is exactly the time where it is really important I not break my (almost daily) routine. I know all about myself and my exercise habits and this is a the time frame where I am at high risk of loosing enthusiasm unless I just go.

Aaaargh the world is conspiring against me running - or rather, giving me lots of excuses not to go out! First it was too hot, then it was raining, then I had a work dinner, then I was in the office until 8pm... This is not good! Tomorrow is set. No excuses. Company run in 2 weeks, eek!

_________________I dunno, I guess I just get enthused over eating big ol' squishy balls. - Interrobang?!

My half marathon this morning was cut down to a 5 mile race by the race organizers due to the heat and humidity. Probably a good thing - it was like running through a swamp! It was a brutal 5 miles, doubt I could have gone 13 anyway. But I ran it in 43 mn regardless, so I'm pretty pleased!

I recently moved to a very different climate than what I'm used to...I came from a pretty dry climate and now I'm living where it's super humid. And hilly. My pace has slowed sooooo much! Good news is maybe this means that when I fly back to a cooler/less humid climate for my marathon in 3.5 weeks I should find it easier to run...I'm hoping, anyway.

_________________I like my bagels like I like my men - big and covered with earth balance & nooch. - Bunniee

I'm about to head out. I think I have configured my iPhone to act as a pedometer. I'm a little nervous about what it's going to say. I tend to get discouraged by numbers not being what I want them to be but I want to set goals and train smart so it probably must be done.

I recently moved to a very different climate than what I'm used to...I came from a pretty dry climate and now I'm living where it's super humid. And hilly. My pace has slowed sooooo much! Good news is maybe this means that when I fly back to a cooler/less humid climate for my marathon in 3.5 weeks I should find it easier to run...I'm hoping, anyway.

Yeah, I wanted to run this morning but forget it. Too ridiculously hot and humid! I yogaed last night and sweated up a storm!

I recently moved to a very different climate than what I'm used to...I came from a pretty dry climate and now I'm living where it's super humid. And hilly. My pace has slowed sooooo much! Good news is maybe this means that when I fly back to a cooler/less humid climate for my marathon in 3.5 weeks I should find it easier to run...I'm hoping, anyway.

Good to see you in here, lobsteriffic! I was wondering how you were doing. I've never lived in T.O. but I have spent plenty of summers there, and I feel you on the weather. It's seriously not my cup of tea. Besides the weather, how is the training going?

I recently moved to a very different climate than what I'm used to...I came from a pretty dry climate and now I'm living where it's super humid. And hilly. My pace has slowed sooooo much! Good news is maybe this means that when I fly back to a cooler/less humid climate for my marathon in 3.5 weeks I should find it easier to run...I'm hoping, anyway.

Good to see you in here, lobsteriffic! I was wondering how you were doing. I've never lived in T.O. but I have spent plenty of summers there, and I feel you on the weather. It's seriously not my cup of tea. Besides the weather, how is the training going?

I think it's going okay...not great, but okay. I'm hitting my peak mileage this week. International moves during the crux of marathon training is a little hard to pull off, and I've missed some runs. My 20 miler is this weekend so if I can bang that out, I know I'll be good. I had a 20 mile run scheduled 2 weeks ago as well, but it was the day after I arrived in TO and I was exhausted and I only made it 17 miles before my body gave out. At this point I'm kind of sick of running (which I didn't think would happen...) and I just want the marathon to be over! I know I'll probably change my tune once I cross the finish line, but right now that's where I'm at. Thanks for asking!

_________________I like my bagels like I like my men - big and covered with earth balance & nooch. - Bunniee

I have a paper to do by Tomorrow night/Saturday morning which has been occupying my time this week, but I did a short run yesterday coming home from a dates place. It was midnight so the relatively cool night air was very welcoming.

My knees were killing me last night. They are a bit better today but not 100%. This is what happens when I push myself when I'm heavier than my body likes to be. Looks like I'll be swimming and cycling for the next couple of days. I hope this is a problem I can work around because I was getting really excited about running.

It's been far too hot and humid to run here and I have an aversion to treadmills. I did however run 1 mile on the treadmill this morning at the gym before switching to the rowing machine and the elliptical. My knees are kinda angry about it.

i still haven't been able to choose the new gym and so went out in the park yesterday. there was this woman sort of precariously rollerblading by and i guess i was smiling a lot because she looked so happy... she said "hey! are you laughing at me?" and so i went over to talk to her, and said she looked really happy, and that's awesome. I smile a lot when i run. it was so funny, we kept running into each other in our loops around the lake.the bad news is that i broke my pedometer and running outside is a mindbender for me- I think I am running much more or less. Yesterday I think I did about 2.5k only, now using mapmyrun, where i thought i had done 5. i need to get back.of course now my knees are OK with running outside- time to switch again!!